Conservative election activist Cleta Mitchell has withdrawn her motion for a protective order against a left-of-center group in connection with a federal lawsuit challenging a provision in Senate Bill 747, an election reform law in North Carolina. Mitchell had argued that Democracy NC planned to use a legal deposition to gain information that could hurt her work on election integrity. However, Mitchell’s lawyer recently stated that all issues have been resolved amicably and the motion is now moot.
Mitchell attracted attention for her legal work supporting Donald Trump after the 2020 election. Democracy NC targeted her in its lawsuit, accusing her of influencing the General Assembly’s decision on the same-day voter registration provision of SB 747. Mitchell agreed to sit for a deposition but filed a motion for a protective order to limit the scope of the examination due to concerns about First Amendment rights and harassment.
She described her limited role in developing SB 747 and reiterated that she did not play a primary advocacy role in the legislation. After facing threats and harassment due to her election integrity work, Mitchell argued that the plaintiffs’ questioning was invasive and unnecessary.
The trial for the Democracy NC lawsuit is set for August 2025, and it is one of three lawsuits challenging the same provision in SB 747. The US District Judge has issued an injunction, with the State Board of Elections implementing temporary rules to address the concerns. These rules will remain in effect for the 2024 election cycle. Mitchell’s withdrawal of the protective order motion signals a resolution to this particular legal battle.
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